Maira Tzanidaki // Architecture Portfolio // Oxford Brookes by Maira Tzanidaki

BRIDGING THE IDIOSYNCRATIC TYPOLOGIES OF NORTH KENSINGTON MAIRA TZANIDAKI DESIGN STUDIO 1 16038203 1

BRIDGING THE IDIOSYNCRATIC TYPOLOGIES OF NORTH KENSINGTON Maira Tzanidaki

OXFORD BROOKES MArchD // DESIGN STUDIO 1 // 16038203

The aim of this portfolio is to explore the theme of wealth division and social justice in one of London’s most divided borough, that of Kensington & Chelsea. The borough’s history is rich in different social classes living next to one another, however in recent years a division between the different social classes is becoming more and more evident, with the W11 district becoming more and more polarized. Working class people being concentrated in one end of the borough and the most affluent in the other end, with property prices also corresponding, showing a dramatic shift from one road to the other. My interest lies in the transitional places, those lying in the in-between areas, and how people and places are representative of one’s social class.

“POSTAL DISTRICTS ARE ONLY A HALF-ACCURATE GUIDE TO WHO IS AFFLUENT AND WHO IS NOT.” (GRIFFIN, 2008)

C O NTENTS 11

CHAPTER 1 - CONCRETE BOUNDARIES verticality tension on site London’s edges the Peripherique

CHAPTER 2 - DIVISION THEN & NOW a history of division the communities of North Kensington luxury & austerity the emergence of new public space

CHAPTER 3 - SHIFTING ATMOSPHERES progression of façades exploring atmospheres light & sound recordings

CHAPTER 4 - BOUNDARIES & BRIDGING physical boundaries interventions invisible barriers bridging

103

CHAPTER 5 - BRIEF DEVELOPMENT concrete & memory the characters the sites the characters/houses

177

CHAPTER 6 - DESIGN EXPLORATION the the the the

bridge of rare plants & gardens bridge of memory bridge of play & acrobatism house of no choice (Grenfell Tower)

LUXURY 45 Clarendon road

SCARCITY 125 Clarendon road

concrete boundaries

verticality tension on site Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edges the Peripherique

R E T H I N K I N G T H E GREK POLYKATIKIA verticality in Athens

Left: Tzanidaki, M., 2017. Verticality in Athens.

rawing from Harvey’s idea of the perceptual space, where “each person lives his own personally constructed web of social relationships”, and exploring a more literal meaning to it, the modern city evolves to be amorphous and sterile. The city’s needs for constant evolution allows no room for preservation or nostalgia, therefore the people need VR technology to shape the space they live in based on each person’s memories and experiences.

lower social strata (immigrants, homeless and poor families), middle floors will be inhabited by the social middle class, whereas the upper floors will be reserved for the select few. New infrastructure in the forms of lifts, cable cars and skywalks will help connect the people on the upper levels with the neighbouring structures, without them ever coming in contact with the streets. Paternoster lifts express the rapidity of transitions, and the non-stop moving of the city.

This new metropolis is based in the city of Athens. Drawing from the observation that the typical Greek “polykatikia” (blocks of flats) typology represents the current social hierarchy in Athens, the drawing aims to demonstrate a future where this phenomenon becomes the new dogma for urban life.

As one travels up the new city, the structures become lighter, more transparent and more mechanised, with the penthouse being almost part of the sky, while above the structures the only presence is that of machines and drones. The new “neighbourhoods” are now distributed vertically, with the infrastructure and the skywalks creating the boundaries for the new city.

The new metropolis will be based on this vertical way of social hierarchy, which will be further enhanced. The current uniformity in building heights in Athens will break with high-rise tower structures. The new structures will develop on top of the Athenian building blocks. The streets, the old Athens and the lower floors of the structures will be left for the

The lower floors of the towers are constantly in the shadow from the other towers and the infrastructure above them. Situationist ideas of the spectacle society, where people have no active participation in the production and experience of space, have become more and more relevant in this new urban reality.

SECTION THROUGH THE POLYKATIKIA

V E R T I C A L I T Y //HORIZONTALITY direction & social division

SECTION THROUGH CLARENDON ROAD

section through a greek polykatikia, and through Clarendon road in North Kensington London, can be surprisingly similar with both being evidence of extreme social division, only in different directions. With the section through the polykatikia showing vertical social division, and a section through North Kensington showing horizontal. The section

above is showing a series of semi-detached Victorian houses, opposite Notting Wood House, drawn through site observation. The density of the two buildings can be striking, with both having the same volume, but a completely different layout of floors and rooms. With Notting wood House having 5 floors, and the house accross the street having only 3 floors.

F I L M I N G TENSION

filming tensions in North Kensington

Having read about, as well as seen from above the Westway travellers site, what began as a desire to film these undefined spaces under the motorway, lead to so much more findings on the way there. Walking from

Holland Park to the Westway site there was a rapid shift in atmospheres, there was a burnt tower haunting the landscape, as well as a feeling of unspoken tension. This was expressed through notes on

https://youtu.be/wFy7oor-UIc Images above: Tzanidaki, M., 2017. Filming tension 14

walls, writings, which quickly became what this film was about. Notes on walls spoke of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Tale of Two Kensingtonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, there was evident grief in them, but also anger. Finally, a feeling that completely overtook my first

experience to the site was the feeling of surveillance. There were cameras outside every building, under the Westway enhancing a feeling of being watched.

Photos: Tzanidaki, M., 2017. Concrete Boundaries

T H E C U R S E O F BORDER VACUUMS Jane Jacobs

On this page: Jacobs, J., 1992. The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

THEDEATH AND LIFE

he trouble arises when districts are bisected or fragmented by borders so that the neighbourhoods sundered are weak fragment and a district of subcity size cannot functionally exist. Frequent borders, whether formed by arterial highways, institutions, projects, campuses, industrial parks, or any other massive uses of special land, can in this way tear a city to tatters.

OFGREAT AMERICAN CITIES JANE JACOBS

The root trouble with borders as city neighbours, is that they are apt to form dead ends for most users of city streets. They represent, for most people, most of the time, barriers.

V-241

Let us consider this special land, for the moment, as something that in the way, so far as the general public on foot is concerned. It is a geographic obstacle, either because it is barred to them or be use it contains so little of concern to them. 18

$4.95

T H E N O M A D S O F N ORTH KENSINGTON the westway

On this page: Griffin, C. 2008. Nomads under the Westway : Irish Travellers, Gypsies and Other Traders in West London.

he Westway site, located at the northern part of the Kensington borough has been the home of a community that found refuge below the concrete infrastructure. However it also created a ‘border vacuum’ as Jane Jacobs would describe it, splitting some communities in its way and creating a no-man zone below and around it.

on redevelopment imposed by ancient infrastructure and natural features… and to people ready to defend and promote their semblance of ‘village’ or ‘little community’. The same goes for Westway Travellers site.

Westway went up in the 1960s and Latimer road was snipped in two. “A ‘little community’ (and others like it) was literally cut apart, that owned its sense of being partly to the fact that it had long been a marginal place, a borderland, physically and socially” (Griffin, 2008). For the great many their is a sense of ‘little community’ in their ‘patch’ of the innercity suburb, much in the same way there is in some old ‘outer’ London suburbs. This sense survives thanks to local memories, to limits 19

SP A T I A L H I E R A R C H Y & VERTICALITY IN PARIS the Périphérique

left: Goddard, J.L., 1967. Two or Three Things I Know About Her

reparing DS1’s field-trip to Paris, my research was focused on divisive architecture. I began reading D. Harvey’s work of rebel cities, where Harvey focuses on the Périphérique motorway around Paris, looking at it in the context of social justice. Furthermore, the book Walls Have Feelings also analyses a film by Jean Luc Goddard, “Two or Three Things I Know About Her” that focuses on the construction of the Périphérique and the effect it has on Paris and its inhabitants. A lot of context was given about the circumstances the Périphérique building started, making it a very relevant example for my research.

would have liked to, however I investigated the zones around Parc de la Villette, and the region of Aubervilliers immediately outside the Périphérique, a very diverse and multicultural neighbourhood.

“Instead of either dematerialising the buildings around it, or forcing acknowledgement through the imposition of uniform frontages of the road, the formal relationship set up by the Périphérique has no such reciprocity: it is one of absolute difference.” (Shonfield, 2000, p.43)

My interests in Paris was therefore was focused on the zone immediately inside, and outside the Périphérique. Due to time limitations however, I could not visit all the areas on the edges of Paris that I 21

B E R N A RD TSCHUMI parc de la villette

ESPONDED TO: future economic and cultural development of a key area of Paris. Built on the site of a former slaughterhouse, sitting at the north-eastern part of the city, right by the Périphérique, La Villette was designed to be a continuation, rather than a rejection, of the city. Concept of the park, can no longer be separated from the concept of the city. Deconstructing the program into intense areas of activity placed according to existing site characteristics and use, this scheme permits maximum movement through the site, emphasizing discoveries and presenting visitors with a variety of programs and events. “To create false hills hiding the Périphérique ignores the power of urban reality.” (Hardingham, S. & Rattenbury, Kester, 2012). 23

T W O O R T H R E E T H I N G S I KNOW ABOUT HER (PARIS) the force of the Périphérique

left: Goddard, J.L., 1967. Two or Three Things I Know About Her Right: Movie stills Tzanidaki, M., 2017, Paris’ edges. https://youtu.be/fsjbZfetl7U

he Périphérique sweeps through the city at high level ignoring the vertical spatial hierarchy of the buildings it cuts through, isolating them, and rendering them forlorn objects, subordinated to the road’s curvaceous power. The construction of the Périphérique, serving the purpose of capitalism, masquerading under the guise of benign planning, has commodified Paris itself. It has made Paris into a distinct and separate object, that Parisians themselves have to arrange to visit. The blocks of the Périphérique exist in apparent blind indifference one to the other.

Hollywood’s views of Paris itself accept the lie of the tourist map: that is that the Peripherique is like a moat around the city, and what is beyond it is something else. 25

division then & now

a history of division the communities of North Kensington luxury & austerity the emergence of new public space

THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON & CHELSEA

L O N D O N’S CLIMATE precipitation

Snowfall in London is more common in outer London.

ondon has a temperate climate, same to all of Southern England. London’s temperature extremes vary from 38.1 °C, recorded in August 2003 at Kew, to −16.1 °C recorded at Northolt in January 1962.

London’s damp weather, and precipitation is ideal for water harvesting and reuse schemes, however there is very limited water collection and reuse systems on an urban scale.

Summers can be generally warm, with an average temperature high of 24 °C.

583,000 ml of rainwater in London per m2

Winters in London are generally cool, cloudy and damp, whereas temperature doesn’t vary a lot.

precipitation

100 mm 80 mm 60 mm 40 mm 20 mm

rainy days

0 mm

A BRIEF HISTORY OF W11

from a notorious slum to a tax haven

GYPSY LAND Strip of wasteland “London’s most squalid Gypsy Camp”

SLUM CLEARANCE

Boothe’s map 1890s WORKING/ CRIMINAL CLASS

1850 s

Built by speculative developers Grand houses to attract posh tenants South end --> experiment succeeded

Notting wood House London’s biggest SLUM

Winterbourne House

1930 s

Original working class stayed put

1957

Dispersal of working class people DEMISE OF 100 YEAR OLD COMMUNITY

THE INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF FRESTONIA

1968

RENT CONTROL

1st wave of settlers (middle class restorers) THE MIDDLE CLASS INVASION

1975

TRAFFIC BARRIER BUILT ON CLARENDON CROSS JUNCTION

SOCIAL CLUB

Julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

1980

80 s recession

1990 s

THE BANKERS

PRESENT LONDON : TAX HAVEN

r=5

M40

Grenfell Tower

Allom House

Nottingwood House

Winterbourne House

Avondale Park

Traffic Barrier /Julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Cowshed beauty spa (former Portland Arms Pub)

Westway Travellers Site

Site Map (W11)

Portland Road (South end)

C H A R L ES DICKENS

house hold words: A Weekly Journal, 1

“In a neighbourhood studded thickly with elegant villas and mansions - named Bauswater, Notting Hill, in the parish of Kensington - is a plague spot scarcely equalled for its insalubrity by any other in London: it is called the Potteries. It comprises some seven or eight acrea, with about two hundred and sixty houses (if the term can be applied to such hovels), and a population of nine hundred or one thousand… pigs, ducks, and fowls are kept in an incredible state of filth. Dogs abound...” (Dickens 1850, 403).

Above: Map scanned in from book, showing the site of Notting Dale in the 1860s, with an excerpt from C. Dickens describing the state of the area very vividly.

“ A M A N F R OM THE NORTH” the story of pigs & potteries

scraps he could easily find from the wealthy houses nearby. And so Samuel commenced realising his plan.

left: Tzanidaki, M. 2017. Pigs & Potteries Land

A little time had passed, and so successful was Samuel that he soon found other people following his example. Men from around London would join Samuel, moving to the West end, doing jobs for their affluent neighbours.

amuel, a man from the north, arrived in London in 1818. He would make a living working many jobs at a time; chimney sweep, scavenger, nightsoil man to name a few. One day, wondering after a day’s work of chimney sweeping, Samuel found himself wondering in the northern reaches of Hammersmith towards Kensington. A neighbourhood studded so thickly with the most elegant villas and mansions Samuel had ever seen.

A little more time had passed and houses soon proved to need building. Buildings needed bricks and tiles and chimney pots. The new residents realized local clay from the fields was perfect for the job. In no time, the area became infamous for its brickfields and potteries. In ten years the area was known as the ‘Pigs and Potteries’ land.

As Samuel was set to keep going he continued until he reached the very last of elegant houses, which is where it was. What a place it was when he first discovered it - out of this world, he thought - a roughly traced road cut through a field the only way to approach. Which is when Samuel came up with the idea that would change his life. “This is where it could be!” Samuel thought to himself, “a definite success…” he continued. Samuel would use all his savings to buy pigs and bring them to the very West end of London, where he could feed them

A little more time had passed, and some women thought there might be an opportunity for them too. Laundering and carpet-beating is where the opportunity lied, and it soon came to fruition. Laundry land some called the area, or Soapsud Island some others. Samuel’s success was more than he could ever imagine. Little could Samuel imagine that his idea would give birth to London’s most squalid district, Notting Dale.

THE BRICKFIELDS

THE LAUNDRIES 36

T H E P E O P L E OF NOTTING DALE pigs & potteries

THE POTTERIES

THE PIGS 37

T H E T R A V E L L E R S OF NOTTING DALE circa 1800s-1950s

Images: Griffin, C., 2008.Nomads Under the Westway (images courtesy of the Kensington & Chelsea public library)

T H E SLUM 1900S

Images: London On Film - The Secret History Of Our Streets - Portland Rd (BBC Four 2013)

T H E T R A V E L L E R S U NDER THE WESTWAY 1970s-Present

Photos above: personal archive (October, 2017) Images: Griffin, C., 2008.Nomads Under the Westway

T H E G ENTRIFIERS 1950s-Present

Photos above: personal archive (October, 2017)

Truly Exceptional

A truly exceptional prominent low built family house with a large west facing private garden and off street parking

Guide Price: ÂŁ19,250,000

Clarendon Lodge NOTTING HILL - LONDON - W11

L U X U R Y I N NORTH KENSINGTON the aftermath

Left: Images from real estate brochures of 41 Clarendon road (Anthony Sharp, 2018)

the theme of Choice. Affluent houses seemed to have an array of choices available to those living in them. Choosing from different living rooms, different kitchens, a series of bedrooms, and terraces/gardens.

s part of my research, to understand the difference in the people who live on Clarendon and Portland road, I did some research on the different properties for sale. Prices had an extreme range from £19,250,000 for the house on the left, to £300,000 in one of the flats for sale in the social housing buildings at the end of the street. This research, also gave me an insight to some of the interiors of the houses, and to what kind of person might live in each house.

“The last few years have seen the complete gentrification of the area-residents today are likely to be well heeled city types or successful media professionals. Those seeking a more bohemian atmosphere are moving further north into W10 (see Ladbroke Grove)” (Anthony Sharp Area Guide.

What was extremely interesting as well, were the area descriptions of the real estate agents, referring to the people who live at the Southern end as “well-heeled City types”, or successful professionals, whereas the North end which is mainly social housing buildings is referred to as “bohemian”. A theme that quickly developed from this property research was 43

T H E O T H E R KENSINGTON the wealth division gap

Left: Tzanidaki, M., 2018. Verticality in North Kensington

he average salary in the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, in which the tower block stands, is £123,000: the highest in the UK. But the median average - the midpoint of all salaries in the area - is £32,700. No other local authority in the country has such a large gap between these two averages, pointing to a huge contrast between high and low earners. There is a similarly large gap when measuring the total income for people in the area. The average is £158,000, but the median is £38,700. Again, no other local authority in the UK reports such a difference.

C . B O O T H ’ S POVERTY MAP 1899

C. BOOTH’S POVERTY MAP 1899

Charles booth, a Victorian London social explorer, mapped the social classes living in what was then, the Notting Dale area, a notorious slum. A great mixture of classes was shown back then,

with some of London’s most affluent living next to what C. Booth had labelled “semicriminal/vicious”. A great concentration of middle classes is evident in the area.

D E P R I VATION MAP 2011 ONS

DEPRIVATION MAP 2011 ONS

of classes together. Some middle class have remained, along with some upper middle classes, whereas the lower social classes seem to have been concentrated to the north of W11 towards Latimer road.

Current deprivation maps shown with the Charles Booth labelling, indicate the same mixture of classes remaining in the borough. Small shifts in the social classes that live in the W11 area, however show more of a concentration

M A P O F P R O PERTY VALUES

£250,000

<£250,000

£340,000 £2,100,000 £3,500,000 £5,000,000 -6,000,000

Property values in the area show a dramatic difference, and also portray the different social classes that live there. Furthermore, it shows how the traffic barrier on Portland road affects the prizes of property, with

houses south of the barrier ranging from £5-6,000,000 and houses north of it being prized at £2-3,000,000, whereas a flat at the social housing end of Portland & Clarendon road would be worth £350,000.

C O N S E R VATION AREAS

LADBROKE CONSERVATION AREA AVONDALE CONSERVATION AREA

AVONDALE PARK GARDENS CONSERVATION AREA

The largest part of the borough is indicated as a conservation area. More specifically, around the site chosen there are four designated conservation areas. The areas include most of

CL NORLAND CONSERVATION AREA

Portland and Clarendon roads, up to the social housing estates to the north of the site, whereas the area around Latimer road station to the Westway site is also not designated.

G R E N F ELL TOWER the aftermath

crucial part of my research was that on the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, which occured on the 14th of June 2017.

temporarily housed in hotels and the government announced that 68 social housing flats in Kensington Row, about 1.5 miles away from Grenfell Tower, would be made available to survivors.

In the days following the fire, dozens of people stormed Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall demanding more support for the fire's survivors.

Some Grenfell Tower families have been staying in hotels and B&Bs, and there were concerns that more permanent housing would be offered in other parts of the country.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for empty flats in North Kensington to be “requisitioned if necessary” for those left homeless by the fire.

And residents have said that Kensington and Chelsea council provided little support or information.

Kensington and Chelsea council’s chief executive, Nicholas Holgate, resigned amid criticism over the borough’s response.

The tower is due for demolition by the end of 2018, however what will replace the burning tower is still unknown

The council’s leader Nick PagetBrown also resigned following continued criticism of the council’s handling of the tragedy. Some people are being 51

T H E E M E R G E N C E OF NEW PUBLIC SPACE the need for a community

On previous page: View of Grenfell Tower taken from new public space, the Wall of Truth. On this page (from top down): -Photo of Wall of Truth, newly emerged public space under the Westway. -Shrine on the fence of a social housing estate. -Wall of Truth graffiti. Right: Praying space in Wall of Truth under the Westway.

hat struck me in the first few visits to my site in October, was the lack of activity in the streets, at the northern end. However, in the months following the Grenfell Tower fire, people around the Tower, and survivors have come together in a unique way. Given the lack of public space, the people have taken over space to create their own community space to congregate, pray, listen to impromptu speeches, write tributes, and pin up notes and drawings. During one of my site visits, I went to trace the newly appropriated public space, and try and understand what might the future of the burnt tower should be, from the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective. 55

A V I S I T T O THE ARCHIVES tracing social division in W11

uring a visit to the archives of Kensington & Chelsea, I found different articles showing the same tension that exists nowadays, as a result of many years of neglect, and conflicts with the council. My visit also lead me to Frestonia, an independent republic of squatters that were on my site in the 70s. 57

“I never go past that line... There is nothing at the end of that line that I have any involvement in. My village is that way, their village is that way” (H.Mayhew, Banker, 63 Portland Road) IN 2013, 85 PER CENT OF ALL HOUSING PURCHASES IN INNER LONDON - LARGELY THOSE IN THE HIGHER AND ‘SUPER HIGH’ PRICE BRACKETS - WERE BEING SNAPPED UP BY NON - UK NATIONALS (MAINLY NATIONALS FROM CHINA, SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA, RUSSIA AND HONG KONG… SUCH FRENZIED SPECULATION, OFTEN AS A MEANS OF ANONYMOUSLY RECYCLING MONEY DERIVED FROM CORRUPTION IN A CITY NOW WIDELY REGARDED AS THE WORLD CAPITAL OF MONEY LAUNDERING, IS PUSHING ALREADY-ASTRONOMICAL PRICES FURTHER ‘INTO THE STRATOSPHERE’. (GRAHAM, 2016).

“The whole area seems to be b

Image: Tzanidaki, M., 2018. Invisible Boundaries. collage

“There is that invisible line, it’s like a force...” (E. Georgiou Winterbourne House resident)

becoming a gated community” 59

F R ESTONIA

An independent republic in North Kensington

Photo left: Tony sleep, Welcome to Frestonia

he neighbourhood at Freston Road, acquired by the Greater London Council (GLC), had been allowed to deteriorate into such a state of disrepair that tenants had to be rehoused to nearby accommodation such as Trellick and Grenfell towers, effectively dismantling a community. But by the mid1970s the area had become home to a new community; a bohemian mixture of artists, writers, musicians and drug addicts. The furore forced the GLC to negotiate and eventually the Bramleys Housing Co-operative was formed, assisted by local lawyer Martin Sherwood, giving the residents a voice in development plans for the area. The squatters-turned-separatists had fought hard and won.

AD RO

RO ND

N LA

DO EN

RT PO

AR CL

ST R E E T S F O R A L L STREETS//FOR THE FEW manifesto no.1

of the road in order to ensure oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety.

Left: The communities of North Kensington

Policing and surveillance has been increased on the northern end of the road as a way of monitoring activities in the borough. Dear residents of W11,

Criminal activity and vandalism at the south end of the street will not be tolerated. It is imperative that criminal activity is limited within the north end of the road.

The following points may be used by residents of both ends of the street as a set of guidelines provided in order to improve everyday life in the borough and help accommodate for the mix of residents of the road.

The council has the right to change use to the space occupied by the council estates to the north of Portland road. In this scenario the residents would be asked to vacate their residences, whereas the council would ensure the relocation of the residents to other more appropriate neighbourhoods.

A traffic barrier has been placed in the middle of Portland road in order to avoid excessive traffic from both ends on Portland road. Although one is not physically restricted of using the opposite ends of the road, the traffic barrier on Clarendon Cross may act as a guideline for where residents of each end should contain their activities.

The constant progression in property value is crucial to the social order within the street. One must reside within the geographical limits of his/her financial position. Progression to the south is strongly encouraged.

Residents in the south end of the road would be able to find all services needed within the south part.

Equally, socialisation between the two ends of the road is strongly discouraged. Socialisation and social activities should be retained within the geographical limits of each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social position.

Residents living in the north end of the road, are not encouraged to use the other end of the road. Pedestrian activity and exploration are strongly discouraged. Residents of the south are not encouraged to use the northern end

shifting atmospheres

progression of facades exploring atmospheres light & sound recordings

E X T R A C T I NG TYPOLOGIES

Sketching faรงades, and details on Portland road

n investigating wealth division along the two streets of my site, I found it crucial to attempt to study the building typologies and the connotations they have in terms of social class. I therefore, did some sketches on site, of building details, as well as a sensorial map of the different atmospheres and feelings around the site, and put them together in a vertical manner.

steps, arched windows, decorative plaster details, as well as intricate banisters and columns on the doorways. Houses on the north end were much more appropriated, with antennas outside the windows, which seemed to be a recurring element, as well as laundry lines on the balconies. Many security elements were also observed, such as CCTV cameras and barbed wire around fences. Windows finally, were in much more simplistic shapes and similar sizes.

Buildings on the South end of the site, had tiled entrance 67

P R O G R E S S I ON OF FACADES

the decorative elements of Clarendon road

left: studies on luxury, by recording the different windows and columns on Clarendon road.

art of my site analysis was recording building typologies found on the site. It was very evident visiting the site what a crucial part the elevations of the buildings play in indicating the social class that occupies them. Buildings ranged from some Edwardian listed buildings, to Victorian terraced houses and 1930s red-brick social housing.

“Façade through the history of architecture has been understood as a face that expressed the status of humans in relation to their environment. It was addressed as a type of organism, but only in the most superficial sense. This resulted in a series of practices marred by their recourse to symbolic interpretations of the façade as a pictorial field” (Koolhaas et al, 2014))

53 Clarendon Road

13 & 15 Portland Road 70

103 Clarendon Road

Notting Wood House Clarendon Road circa 1930 71

model: breaking through the facades of North Kensington

SOUND

sound levels in the borough

Image: sound levels around the borough.

esearching sound, and recording sound in the borough, had to begin with a sound map of the area I was investigating. The map revealed some things quite expected. Highest levels of noise are on the motorway and Holland Park avenue, which are the borders of my site. These noise levels are mainly due to traffic on the motorway, and the activity of people from the shops, and the tube station on Holland Park avenue. The quietness I had also observed myself, heading north in the borough, also showed on this map, where for example, the ends of Portland and Clarendon road, have no sound levels showing on the map.

South Portland Road construction site

Traffic sound under Westway site

North Portland Road argument

S T U D I E S ON SOUND

sound recordings//overheard on site

With 5 construction sites construction sounds, drilling and hammering dominated the soundscape of the South end of Portland road.

Traffic sounds were recorded under the Westway. This is the sound of a passing lorry or bus. Traffic noise seems to resonate on the concrete infrastructure enhancing it further.

South Portland Road construction site

Traffic sound under Westway site

A passing bike was recorded ringing its bell to me, while I filming videos in the middle of the street.

South Clarendon Road bike bell

A quarrel was overheard at the north end of Portland road between a man and a woman, outside Winterbourne House. The woman spat on the man and the man drove off with screeching tyre sounds

North Portland Road argument

R E C O R D I NG LIGHT

light shifts on Clarendon road

north

Quiet

Haunting

Dark

Uninviting

Open

Red brick

People sitting in balconies Occupied Open windows

BARBED WIRE

Surveillance

Dark

Street wide with many openings. Buildings taller,wider, bulkier with less openings. Red brick faรงades make the street seem darker and narrower.

Openness

Quiet

Street widens significantly. Traffic junctions allow for more openness and light in the street. Vegetation increases, giving

Dark

south Affluent

Decorative/Extravagant Victorian Architecture

Narrow No signs of appropriation manifesting social class

Elegant Clinical

Shaded

Open

Traffic barrier sitting in the middle of the road. Street gets more narrow. Trees on traffic barrier and buildings make it a darker spot. Road opens up immediately before and after the barrier.

Stucco Faรงades

Houses with stucco faรงades allow for more light reflection, therefore give the impression of a bright streetscape, despite the narrowness of the street.

D R A W I N G ATMOSPHERES

recording sound, light & barriers

images: paintings with ink and pen combining sound and light to show the invisible boundaries.

n an attempt to record the radical shift of atmospheres through the site, light and sound were selected as the two key elements contributing to that. With white faĂ§ades and smaller buildings the south end of the road is perceived to be much brighter, whereas the north end, dominated by big red-brick housing blocks affects the light on the street, giving the impression of a darker streetscape. Noises, also directly relating to the width of the streets, can either be overwhelming in some parts of the street, or part of the streetscape. These drawings therefore, drawn with a combination of ink, watercolours, and pen, include the light and sound recordings combined with barriers encountered on the street. Investigating barriers, in terms of what crosses them such as sound and light, and

what doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, such as people, this drawing aims to define the specific atmospheres for each part of the street, and find out any potential overlapping in elements or atmospheres. 83

C H A P T E R C ONCLUSION

visible//invisible barriers

uring the first few months of site visits, a great range of activities, people, and social classes was observed on site and a dramatic shift of atmospheres. Although the South part of the road had much more activity of people, cars, cyclists, different sounds, however the houses at the southern end of the site had no signs of activity, most of them seemed unoccupied and empty. Whereas going north, my sound recordings were almost silent. No activity seemed to be taking place in the streets, most streets seemed deserted, the houses however, seemed to have a lot of activity, with people sitting on their balconies, laundry lines accross the facades, children toys, etc. Therefore, all activity seemed to be happening behind closed doors. The transition points (barriers) of these shifts were recorded, and lead me to the next chapter on my research. 85

boundaries & bridges

physical boundaries interventions invisible barriers bridging

AD RO

ND LA RT PO

N DO EN AR CL AD RO

B A R R I E R MANIPULATION

scenario 1. rotating the pedestrian crossing

tarting with rather small interventions, such as rotating the passenger crossing by 90Â° this would result in the pedestrianization of the southern part, or maybe even the entire of Portland road. This change will most likely not be embraced by houses on the southern end, since there will be no use for their garages in this scenario, however soon enough people will begin taking ownership and using the space. 89

S C E N A RIO 2

placing barriers

Left: Image showing the placing of barriers through infrastructures on Clarendon road.

aving mapped the current pieces of infrastructure acting as barriers in one way or the other, the third scenario follows a drastic intervention: the placing of barriers, obstructing streetlevel pedestrian access in the place of the current barriers. New pieces of infrastructure will be added forcing pedestrians to use them in order to traverse the road. The pedestrians would have to go up from the street to the infrastructures and then down again to street level. The point of these walkways will be to provide frame views of the borough. To the south there will be a view of Hyde Park, whereas to the north it will be a view of the Grenfell tower site. 91

AD RO N AD DO RO EN ON AR ND CLLARE AD ROO C AD ND R LAND RTTLA PPO OR

S C E NARIO 2

step 1. raising the traffic barrier

The traffic barrier, will be the most significant intervention for symbolic reasons. It will be raised on a piece of infrastructure above its current position. People will now use it to cross from one side of Portland road to the other above the current urban fabric. 93

N ND

CL AD

S C E N A R I O 2 PLACING BARRIERS step 2. replace junctions

he big pedestrian junction on Clarendon road with Elgin Crescent, leading to Notting Hill is going to be lifted and rotated. By doing so, infrastructure will go through some of the most affluent houses on the road, crossing between them and over them providing a passing to Portland road. This might result in a blurring of boundaries and ownership, creating communal infrastructures. The new infrastructures will be used by pedestrians on Clarendon road, giving them framed views of borough. 95

N ND

CL AD

S C E N A R I O 2 . PLACING BARRIERS

step 3. removing traffic diversion barrier

he traffic diversion barrier on Clarendon road will also be raised. A new infrastructure will be put in place as a result, that pedestrians have to go over in order to traverse the street. The raised platform will also be providing framed views of the borough. The infrastructure interventions will provide the people with framed views of the two sides of the Borough, encouraging the residents of the borough to acknowledge the different sides of their borough and not separate themselves from their surrounding community.

P L A C I N G BARRIERS an animation

above: A series of “Interventions” in Kensington animation (Tzanidaki, M. 2017) https://youtu.be/NYxLBboTWYo left: Tzanidaki, M., 2018. A New Cityscape (concept image)

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brief development

concrete & memory the characters the sites the characters/houses

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102

C O N C RETE

luxury//decadence

oncrete has long been stigmatized as a cheap material. As concrete requires no particular craftsmanship, it is this democratic nature that has associated it with low quality buildings. The work of making concrete carries little prestige; compared to things made out of materials whose workmanship relies upon crafts with long traditions and established patterns of training, concrete has for most of its history been looked down upon as inferior, associated with grand social housing schemes of the 60s and 70s. However, concrete seems to be reluctant to stay within one or another conventional scheme of classification. Neutral with respect to its existing social meanings, concrete carries a criticality within it. As Hall and Koren (2012) put it, it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be right to attempt

and replicate the atmosphere of a comfortable and cosy luxurious residence; and a mistake also to wish to replicate the poverty of a poor dwelling. Concrete is a composite of sand, cement, aggregate (crushed rock or pebbles) and miscellaneous additives. Concrete however, is not a very morally adaptable material from an eco-friendly point of view. Cement, the binding agent in the mixture, consists mainly of lime. The production of lime releases a lot of CO2, whereas 5-7% of the CO2 generated annually comes from the production of cement. Fortunately though the cement contents in concrete can vary. Therefore, by using a lower cement-content in the mixture, with Pulverized Ash Fuel (PFA), 30% cement, and 70% PFA, reduces the mixtureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CO2 contents. Finally, if a concrete building stays up long enough, it will molecularly reabsorb much of the CO2 produced with it. 103

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R A C H E L W HITEREAD memory

left: Whiteread, R., The House, 1994

ouse was exceptional for drawing attention to the absent object from which the impression had been taken, and for making this the primary feature of the work. Features of the house that has been projections, became cavities, features of the house that were recesses became projections. Moving forward from research, the first step would be to try and respond to the problem existing. Memory became a keyword in that respect, as the aim I would be trying to achieve through my proposal. The work of Whiteread became a prominent precedent, reading into her background and her work with casts. Whiteread works with controversies, such as visible vs. invisible, positive and negative space, and tries through her work to build a dialogue between the two, an antithesis and a relationship at the same time. A strong critic of neoliberalism, seen through

her work of “House”, where Whiteread chose a site due to be demolished to make way for a new park, and more specifically, she chose to cast the house of the last tenant remaining on that terrace of houses, refusing to move out. With the site also overlooking Canary Wharf, which Whiteread refers to as “Thatcher’s troubled economic babies originally envisaged as an urban utopia”, Whiteread chose a bold approach to critique this.

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https://youtu.be/Q0jW4eumAfw

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B R I D G I N G O V ER THE INVISIBLE boundaries

left & previous page: Tzanidaki, M., 2018. A Platform for Negotiation.

asting was chosen as a process, as a way to make the invisible, visible. In this case, a boundary line. Concrete and plaster were chosen as materials, because of their similar casting properties, and their social connotations. Plaster and concrete would express the different social status each building typology carries in North Kensington. Plaster is used to represent the semi-detached Notting Hill houses (valued at £2-3,000,000), and concrete to represent Winterbourne House, a social housing estate. This model attempted to bring into light the invisible; the boundary where the affluent Notting Hill semi-detached houses end, and the red brick social housing estates begin. A boundary that can be perceived and felt by anyone traversing the road, however can’t be seen. It is therefore a road junction, which carries this boundary

in this case, on Portland road. Inspired by Whiteread’s approach, I casted the negative space on the junction, which includes Winterbourne House (shown in concrete) and two houses priced at £2-3,000,000 (shown in plaster). The cast concrete and plaster show the current building fabric, depicting it as old and heavy, whereas the structure at the top, is a metaphor for my proposal. Lightweight, and transparent as it is, it creates a contrast sitting on top of the heavy and outdated present building typologies, and attempts to bridge between the two ends. A staircase on each end, guides the people on this platform on top of the boundary, where they can negotiate and reestablish their relationship. This model is taking the theme of bridging and is a metaphor of my proposal, crucial to the development of the brief.

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OBJECT

SUBJECT

1. House for the One With Choices

Natasha

House of Choices is located on the garden of the 19.2 m house on Clarendon road. The house of Choices is designed based on the original house, mimicking elements and spatial qualities of the original house. The house is arranged within four towers, which include an aviary and exotic plants tower, a room of facades, a room of columns, and framed views

Natasha is a mother of two, married to Nico an Italian businessman. Natasha lives on the “bohemian” part of Portland road as she likes to call it, however she aspires to move further south on the street. What she thinks misses most in her house right now is a garden. Natasha is secretly trying to buy Avondale Park, which is located in the street behind her house. Finally, Natasha has a love for birds and If she had a bigger house she could keep more of them.

2. House for the One With No Choices

Elpida

House of no choices is located around the Grenfell Tower site. The footprint of the tower remains empty and is sunken below ground. The house of no choice is built around it, with specific infills in certain parts of the site. Although the house of no choice is a critical proposal for the people that lived in the tower, infills around the house provide the much-needed social space. These infills being playgrounds, gardens, spaces for gathering and socialising.

Elpida lives in Winterbourne House at the northern end of Portland road. Elpida finds Winterbourne House “dark and dingy” and gets unsettled every night as she hears her next-door neighbour pee. Elpida avoids going through the south end of the street, as she finds it a constant reminder of what she will never have. Elpida hasn’t had choices over many things in her life, but if she did, she would want to live somewhere other than Winterbourne House.

3. House of Memories

Mrs Jeanne

The house of memory is a building collecting all the memories of W11 so that they are not forgotten. The house of memory is purposefully located on Portland road, between a social housing building and a semidetached house, in the barrier in between. Memories inside include the Pigs & Potteries, the Notting Dale slum, Frestonia and Grenfell Tower.

Jean grew up on Portland road, when the road was London’s most notorious slum. She reminisces the road and the community that got lost through the years. Jean was forced to move out of Portland road for the house to be sold. She now lives a few streets away, feeling very disconnected from the neighbourhood she grew up in, reminiscing the old times. She has become bitter and resentful of what the street has become and the people who live there now.

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OBJECT

SUBJECT

4. House for the Nomad

4. The Nomad King

House of Nomads is a critique of Neoliberalism, and the current property market on Portland road. With most houses being on sale on the road, and the modern nomadic lifestyle, this house will reflect those values, as well as reference directly the travellers’ community under the Westway.

Pat O’ Donnell is the head of the travelling community living under the Westway. He has lived on the Westway since 1998, when he moved south from Ireland. He is the head of the O’Donnell family, which occupies most of the site, therefore has come to be recognised as the head of the community. Although he hasn’t travelled anywhere in the last 20 years he still identifies himself as a traveller, as he says “once a traveller, always a traveller”.

5. The Bridge of Houses

The Architect

A piece of infrastructure, an inhabitable walkway going through the borough. The Bridge will attempt to reconfigure the boundaries of the road, going through and above houses on a route of selected sites.

Robert Maitland, successful architect/ turned social outcast, has decided to stay under the Westway since his jaguar crashed there in the 1970s. Based on JG Ballard’s character in Concrete Island, running away from modern life responsibilities, his career and family Robert Maitland has made the Westway his home, which he calls Concrete Island.

6. Playgrounds

The Retired Circus Acrobat

The playgrounds are used to create infills in the cityscape in the forms of playgrounds where adults and children can interact. Children will learn to interact and mix with each other and will create a bond in the community.

Proctor is an outcast living under the Westway in a made-shift shelter of his own creation. Proctor used to be a circus performer, and he can be seen performing his gymnastic exercises every morning. All the stresses of hard life had combined to produce this aged defective, knocked about by a race of unkind and indifferent adults but still clinging to his innocent faith in a simple world.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;A chora structured by the changing relationships between the subjects which constitute the space and the objects which denote it.â&#x20AC;? (van den Bergh, 1988)

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J O H N HEJDUK

the idea of play

left: Hejduk, J. et al, 1992, the

Lancaster/Hanover Masque

With this transformation within the planning model from a spatial disposition in a static territory to a spatial disposition in a kind of dynamic field, the objects lose their topological positions and become places in a provisional and essentially mobile spatial “articulation”, which consists of movements and charges with volatile static moments and markings. Huzinga (van den Bergh, 1988) suggests that the idea of “play” permeates culture in all its manifestations, and that the rationale of the game is deeply rooted in our spiritual being. All the great original activities of human society are, in his view, suffused with the idea of play. This is the case with language, the tool we use to communicate, learn and command; to make distinctions, define, record; in short to name things, and to raise them to the domain of the spirit. This is the metaphor behind

every expression of an abstract thing, and in principle every metaphor is a play on words. In creating language, we are playing, constantly jumping from the material to the conceptual. When the game is over, it is retained as a spiritual creation or treasure. It remains in the memory so it can be passed on or repeated at any moment. The game introduces order; it is order. Play lends a temporary, limited completeness to the incomplete reality of the world and the chaos of life. In this way, we create our expression of being from the idea of the game. Our culture is like a second “artificially shaped” world alongside the world of nature. For Huizinga, play stands apart from all other forms of thought. Because play takes place within specific boundaries of time and place, it is isolated form ordinary life. It is not “actual life”, but rather a withdrawal into a temporary sphere of activity with its own support. In the same way an extended now, a presence in ecstasy.

The masque rediscovers the essence of architecture as play and “dwelling” as “articulation”. (van den Bergh, 1988) 113

images: Holl, S. et al., 1998. Bridge of Houses (Pamphlet Architecture)

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S T E VEN HOLL

bridge of houses

ne of the first words that became obvious through my research was the theme of Bridging. Identifying the imbalances in social classes, activities and atmospheres was the first step, followed by a desire to reinstate this balance in each individual sector. Therefore, maintaining the current urban fabric, but applying a bridging mechanism over it was the initial idea.

The resulting hybrid is a combination of modern bridge superstructure with variations on urban house types. MELBOURNE PROPOSAL

This idea lead me to Steven Hollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work on bridges. Done twice for two separate competitions, one in Melbourne and one in New York, S. Holl utilises existing infrastructure within the geometric limits of the gridded city. Key words that come up from Hollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work is thesis-antithesis. Holl accepts the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of the city paralleling them to characters, and tries to design an architecture for them. Holl incorporates contrasting character traits and personalities (idiosyncrasies) and places them all on the same axis, one next to the other.

Houses function as an ornate collection of urban villas with 4-6 apartments per block, facing green internal courts. The passage is lined with spaces for small shops and professional offices below the houses.

RESPONDED TO: railroad yard dividing the central part of the city from the river. Bridge of houses part of seven inhabited bridges proposed.

MANHATTAN PROPOSAL RESPONDED TO: existing superstructure of an abandoned elevated rail link. The bridge of houses reflects the new character of the area as a place of habitation.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;HOUSE for a MAN WITHOUT OPINIONS: The house for the man without opinions is a series of empty rooms connected by a large central atrium filled with birds. The birds fly around in the atrium all day while the man with no opinions looks at them from every room. Several cats look at random up and down the stairs of the house, pausing for naps at the landings. The landings are very large and the sight of the cats napping on them makes the man without opinions smile. However, he has been told that the cats are very opinionated, so he focuses on the birds.â&#x20AC;? (Holl, S., 1981, P.6)

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C O N C R ETE ISLAND

JG Ballard and the Westway

images: Tzanidaki, M., 2017. The Westway

s JG Ballard states in the introduction of the book, “Modern technology... offers an endless field day to any deviant strains in our personalities. Marooned in an office block or on a traffic island, we can tyrannise ourselves, test our strengths and weaknesses, perhaps come to terms with aspects of our characters to which we have always closed our eyes. Architect Robert Maitland crashes his jaguar one Friday afternoon going along a very familiar route, and finds himself stranded on “a small traffic island, some two hundred yards long and triangular in shape, that lay in the waste ground between three converging motorway routes”. Maitland sets it his mission to conquer the island and survive off it, finding water and food scraps from passing cars.

their families, past lovers, the police, an idea which Maitland comes to terms with himself. “These days one needed a fullscale emergency kit built into one’s brain, plus a crash course in disaster survival, real and imagined (Ballard, 1985)”.

In the process, Maitland finds two misfits who have made the island their home, hiding from 117

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B RIDGING

diagrammatic model

above: Tzanidaki, M., 2018. Diagrammatic model exploring the theme of bridging, and materiality study

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C H O O S I N G T H E S PECIFIC SITES

left: map showing sites within their context.

arrowing down the sites that came up from my research, 4 main sites were chosen for proposals/ interventions. The sites were chosen for their history, memories, and characters associated with them, but also for what is not there. Therefore the final sites, are the ÂŁ19.2 m house for sale on Clarendon road, the road junction where the invisible boundary is located, Grenfell Tower, and the Westway travellers site. The proposals will aim to create an interactive journey from one node to the other, and recreate the North Kensington streetscape.

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T H E C H O S E N SITES/NODES

PORLAND ROAD

CLARENDON ROAD

ST. JOHN’S GARDENS

PORLAND ROAD

£19,2 m House

-Current house on the market for sale -Extravagant interiors -Series of bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens -Garden almost seems to be in the countryside

Invisible Boundary

-road junction -Affluent houses end, social housing begins -dead zone, no activity occuring

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WESTWAY M40

KENSINGTON ALDRIDGE ACADEMY

TENNIS COURT

PLAY AREA

INDUSTRIAL ESTATE TENNIS COURT

SPORTS FACILITY

NFE

WAL

Grenfell Tower

-site of grief & memory

TCR WES

UT RO SS RO C ST

SPORTS FACILITY

OSS

ROU

GRE

SPORTS COURT

Westway Travellers Site

-Physical Barrier of the Westway -Travellers that have never travelled -Site enclosed to outsiders

-haunting site (great effect -tower remains soon to be demolished

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above: idea section through house of choices

HOUSE OF CHOICES

The choices house is formed by options. The house has 4 entrances, Every entrance has a staircase, Every staircase leads to a tower, Each tower is the same, The rooms are left open to be determined The top floor has a fragile staircase. The staircase leads to a garden The garden has four different entrances. The decider goes through his day to day life around those choices.

HOUSE of NO CHOICE The house has one entrance. The entrance has a staircase. Each staircase is followed by another staircase. All staircases lead upwards. The owner doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a choice. The staircases go through a series of empty rooms. The rooms can not be accessed. The owner must follow the path decided. The path gets lighter. Finally the staircases stop. The room is empty.

HOUSE FOR MEMORIES

The house of memories has a single entrance. The entrance is a fragile staircase. The staircase goes through memories. The memories are archived. The memories are also projected. Movable panels keep shifting around. Two projectors project the memories of the inhabitants that lived there. A courtyard in the middle is used for contemplation and recollection. The house of memories has no future, only past

House of Choices Axonometric

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H O U S E OF CHOICES Natasha

OBJECT

SUBJECT

1. House for the One With Choices

1. Natasha

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needs fixing not good

CLARENDON ROAD Site Plan 1:500 mm

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Section 1:100 mm

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Basement floor plan 1:100 mm

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First floor plan 1:100 mm

3rd floor plan 1:100 mm

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Roof plan 1:100 mm

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Model of House of Choices Plaster, mesh and plywood

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House of No Choice Axonometric

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H O U S E OF NO CHOICE Elpida

OBJECT

SUBJECT

2. House of No Choices

2. Elpida

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FEL

L W ALK Site plan 1:200 mm

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Typical floor plan 1:200 mm

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Basement floor plan 1:200 mm

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Ground floor plan 1:200 mm

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Concrete cast model of Grenfell Tower facade (fractured)

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House of Nomad axonometric

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H O U S E FOR THE NOMAD the nomad king

OBJECT

SUBJECT

3. House for the Nomad

3. The Nomad King

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A3 23 0

E UT RO S OS CR ST WE

STA BLE WAY 146

House of Nomad Site Plan 1:200 mm

Section 1:100 mm

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Ground floor plan 1:100 mm

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First floor plan 1:100 mm

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Second floor plan 1:100 mm

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Roof plan 1:100 mm

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Above: Plywood and mountboard sketch model of nomadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house Below: Concrete cast model of House of Nomad

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P L AYGROUND

the retired acrobat

OBJECT 4. Playground

SUBJECT The Retired Circus Acrobat

Proctor is an outcast living under the Westway in a madeshift shelter of his own creation. Proctor used to be a circus performer, and he can be seen performing his gymnastic exercises every morning. All the stresses of hard life had combined to produce this aged defective, knocked about by a race of unkind and indifferent adults but still clinging to his innocent faith in a simple world.

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Site Plan Playground on Portland road 1:200 mm

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Section through playground 1:200 mm

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Playground road level plan 1:100 mm

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Playground first level plan 1:100 mm

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Playground upper level plan 1:100 mm

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A L D O VAN EYCK playgrounds

children, they became an integral part of the city. Moreover, by placing benches at the square, van Eyck created a place that invited parents or guardians to oversee their children and to gather together. Street life and community were stimulated (e.g., Solomon, 2005).

left: Van Eyck, A., 1956, climbing dome and climbing funnels

ldo van Eyck’s humane architecture aimed at creating places that fostered dialogue and stimulated community life in which children take part.

To consider the city is to encounter ourselves.

Objects that are not anything in themselves, but which have an open function and therefore stimulate a child’s imagination. A child sits still on a slide or a swing: it is the object that produces the movement. Van Eyck’s objects do not move, but they allow a child to move with all the acrobatism and suppleness he can master. That was the genius of their simplicity.

To encounter the city is to rediscover the child. If the child rediscovers the city, the city will rediscover the child – ourselves. LOOK SNOW! A miraculous trick of the skies – a fleeting correction. All at once the child is Lord of the City.

There were no sharp boundaries that separated the playground from the rest of the city. The sociologist Sennett (2008) emphasized this aspect and the role it could have for children’s play.

But the joy of gathering snow off paralyzed vehicles is short-lived. Provide something for the human child more permanent than snow – if perhaps less abundant. Another miracle.

By not fencing the playing

van Eyck (1962/2008, p. 25).

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N I G E L HENDERSON

photographing London’s East end

The Smithsons used Chisenhale Road and other photographs by Henderson of scenes of children’s street games in a presentation at the CIAM 9 (Congrès Internationaux d’Architecture Moderne) in Aixen-Provence. The photographs appear in a collage entitled CIAM grille 1953 (Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris) (reproduced in Walsh, pp.38–9), through which the Smithsons sought to illustrate an architectural philosophy that privileged the role of the street in the relationship between the built environment, the individual and the community.

left: Henderson, N., 1949-1956, children playing on Chisenhale Road, London

Henderson desperately wanted to engage with life through the uncynical eye of a child, and in many repsects this is what the streets of East End made possible. Henderson worked closely with Alison and Peter Smithson witnessing at first hand the self-sufficiency and vitality of a community whose daily life of working, shopping and socializing all took place within a confined network of streets. In their reformulation of the essentials in urban planning, the concept of the street became their primary focus. As they would write” ‘The street is an extension of the house; in it children learn for the first time of the world outside the family; it is a microcosmic world in which the street games change with the seasons and the hours are reflected in the cycle of street activity.’

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Below: CIAM Grille prepared for CIAM meeting at Aix-en-Provence, 1953.

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“There’s also the wish to retain the “innocent eye” of childhood, the unblinking guileless not self-deceived record of an eye not distorted by extraneous associations of false attitudes.”

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A B R I D G E T H ROUGH NORTH K E N S I NGTON bridge language studies

road

under

covered

open

over

above

above & above & under over

above

within

above

beside

through

beside

over

between

above

1. Thin columns in random spacing and arrangement. Effect: disorienting/ stirring up boundaries

2. Thin columns in random spacing and at an angle to the slab. Effect: playful

3. Thicker columns, heavier and more solid, with bigger spacing. Effect: monumental

On this page: left:Diagram showing the relationship of the bridge through the different points it goes through, in relation to its surrounding building fabric and streetscape.

beside

right:column arrangement and language experimentations

through beside

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A B R I D G E THROUGH NORTH K E NSINGTON

breaking through the building fabric

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Above: Concept image exploring form in the current building context

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E X P L O R I N G FORM IN CONTEXT collage of 3D model with photos

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design exploration

-concrete & memory -the characters -the sites -the characters/houses

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House of No Choice Bridge of Memory

Playground Bridge of Play & Acrobatism New Social Club

Bridge of Rare Plants & Gardens

House of Choices 176

T H E PROPOSALS

the idiosyncrasies & the bridges

left: Site map showing proposals

s a way to resppond to the idiosyncrasies of the houses/characters, seen in the previous chapters, and bring then together in a metaphorical and literal way, a series of bridges is proposed creating a new cityscape above, and below of the existing. The House therefore in the entire proposal become pavilions, through which one can access the bridges. All houses are connected to a bridge, except for the house of the nomad, which is located separate from the others, as a result of its nomadic nature. Therefore, as one can see on the map to the left, from south to north, the House of Choices becomes a pavillion for the bridge of Rare Plants & Gardens, which aims to break through the private gardens of the borough and give access to everyone, creating new public space. The playground is part of the bridge of Play & Acrobatism, which is below ground, and consists of 177

a concrete landscape of ramps, slopes and steps, for kids and adults, providing an interactive journey through the streets. Finally, the House of No Choice can be accessed through the bridge of Memory, which offers a sensorial journey to the tower.

T H E B R I D G E O F RARE PLANTS AND GARDENS

Above: The Bridge of Rare Plants & Gardens, aims to challenge the boundaries between private and public, around the properties to the South of Clarendon rd. The bridge goes through the public gardens and parks of Notting Hill and gives access to the general public. 178

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Image: The Bridge of Rare Plants & Gardens begins from the roof garden of the House of Choices and aims to invade and shift the private and public boundaries of the area. The bridge will democratize public space, and give access to the enclosed private gardens of Notting Hill.

Plan of Bridge of Rare Plants & Gardens 1:500 mm

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Below: Visual showing part of the roof garden on the house of choices, connecting to the Bridge of rare plants and gardens.

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Below: Visual showing the house of choice and the bridge of rare plants & gardens from Clarendon road.

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Glazing on South Facade absorbs southern daylight during the day.

Wall on Northern facade retains heat, and slowly releases it throughout the day.

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TH E B R I D G E O F R A RE PLANTS AND GARDENS passive solar gain

Walled gardens on the bridge will capture southern sunlight through a glazed south facade, while the walls on the north facade will retain the heat for the rest of the day.

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Below: Visual inside the House of Choice, showing room of columns.

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E N E R G Y & H E ATING STRATEGIES environmental

left: Vertical System Ground Source Heat Pump, for the House of Choices, and the House for the Nomad.

ost of the proposals will not be need to be heated during the winter, as they are semi-open spaces, or spaces exposed to the natural elements. Therefore, they do not require insulation or any heating. However, the houses will be used as exhibition pavilions, which will therefore require some degree of heating during the winter. They would not be habitable buildings, but will only be used as pavilions, for exhibition purposes, and to provide access to the bridges. Keeping environmental concerns in mind, a vertical Ground Source Heat Pump heating system could be used. GSHP was chosen as a strategy, due to its low operating cost, the need for no exposed equipment, and its low environmental impact. Therefore, the two houses that will need to be using GSHP heating system, are the house of choices, and the house for the nomad. 193

Visual: Public community hub created above traffic barrier, where upperclassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infamous social club Julieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is now located. 194

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T H E B RIDGE OF MEMORY

Above: The Bridge of Memory is the entrance to the house of no choice. It is a monolithic concrete bridge, with few openings allowing for some light to get in. The bridge of memory is a sensorial journey to the tower. 198

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Plan of Bridge of Memory 1:500 mm

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T H E H O U S E OF NO CHOICE

a critique & memorial in the site of Grenfell Tower

he Grenfell Tower remains have been scheduled for demolition within the end of 2018. Without being able to ignore the effect the tower has on the streetscape of Kensington, being a looming figure, a reminder of certain people’s decisions and choices, and a site of loss, this project will retain the tower in some ways. As a way of keeping the tower, what it means and people’s memories of it, the tower’s façades will be cast with concrete from the outside, creating a new tower, with Grenfell Tower imprinted inside it. A of the windows on the facade, equal to the number of people who died in the fire, will be left open. The tower will be left with an open roof, subject to weather conditions. A monolithic pool at the bottom of the tower will create a space of contemplation, with the voices of the visitors echoing in the tower. Rainwater

from the open roof will be collected and filtrated in the pool. Sun light will reach the pool only one day a year, on the anniversary of the fire (14/06/1993).

Left: Perspective Section of the hosuse, with the Grenfell facades imprinted on its walls.

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B U I L D I N G THE TOWER THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD

1. Tower in its present state

2. Installation of scaffolding around tower

3. Blast concrete on the facade from outside

4. Remove internal walls and floors behind cast

5. Insert pre-cast smoothed concrete floors acting as reinforcement ring

REUSE OF MATERIALS 1. Concrete rubble 2. Windows & broken glass 3. Steel, melted and mixed with new steel

Although the current state of the building elements is uncertain, some could be reused. The tower being built primarily out of concrete could provide rubble and concrete for the construction of the playground bridge, which is primarily below ground. Broken glasses and windows could also be reused at the bottom of the pool to reflect light inside the tower. 204

I N I T I A L T E C H N OLOGY EXPLORATION c o ncrete

1. Pre-cast concrete column with reinforcement

The production of lime releases a lot of CO2, whereas 5-7% of the CO2 generated annually comes from the production of cement. Fortunately though the cement contents in concrete can vary. Therefore, by using a lower cement-content in the mixture, with Pulverized Ash Fuel (PFA), 30% cement, and 70% PFA, reduces the mixtureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CO2 contents.

2. Placing of pre-cast smoothed concrete slab with hole for columns. 3. Pouring of liquid concrete to seal connection 3. Pouring of liquid concrete to seal connection 4. Screed

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I N I T I A L T E C H N OLOGY EXPLORATION c o ncrete

left: Van Eyck, A., 1956, climbing dome and climbing funnels

uring the model making process, I attempted to apply the construction process for the bridge columns, to test it, and model some of the components that could be too delicate. Having several failed casts, I wanted to test reinforcement methods for my elements. For the formwork I used mountboard with plastic self-adhesive on it, and for the reinforcement I inserted a strip of steel mesh in the concrete mix within the formwork. The result

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L I G H T STUDIES

light in the tower at different times

Shadows in tower with all windows enclosed

Shadows in tower with bottom floor windows removed in December

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Shadows in tower with bottom floor windows removed on 14/06 the anniversary of the fire

Shadows in tower with windows on four floors removed

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1 : 2 0 DETAIL

detail of stairs & monolithic pool The existing tower will be cast in concrete externally. Precast concrete floor slabs will be placed internally as rings to support the wall. Concrete staircases will be spanning 21.5 m diagonally from one floor to the next, with steel trusses for balustrades supporting the long span. The nature of the space is open to the physical elements, therefore the spaces are unheated and no insulation is required.

left: detail showing monolithic pool and basement floor & wall right: section through basement, wall, floor & staircase landing

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Drainage, perforated porous pipe for draining & collecting surface water embedded in lean concrete

Bitumen paint

Drainage, perforated porous pipe for draining Porous & collecting surface water boards embedded in lean concrete

Bitumen

Porous

Precast reinforced 200 mm reinforced

Steel beam supportive element (seen in elevation)

Steel truss balustrade /supportive element

DPM

Monolithic water pool

Overflow channel

50 mm lean concrete

200 mm concrete slab

water pool

channel Monolithic 60 mm screed

concete tiles Overflow

60 mm screed 200 mm concrete slab Reconstituted 50 mm lean

Reconstituted concete tiles

60 mm screed

Smooth concrete

Steel beam supportive element (seen in elevation) Precast reinforced concrete staircase

200 mm reinforced concrete slab

60 mm screed

Smooth concrete finishing 30 mm

Steel truss balustrade /supportive element

R A I N W A T E R C O LLECTION & REUSE

Left: Technical detail exploration on for tower floor & wall connection Below: Environmental water collection strategy

Water Collection: Water will be collected under the House of No choice, in a tank under the monolithic pool. The water will be filtrated and re-used for the bridge of rare plants and gardens, and for the pool. 583,000 ml of rainfall a year in London per m2 583 L Area of run-off water collected: 73,410 m2 73,410 m2 x 583 L = 42,798,000 L Loss factor: 80% 42,798,000 x 0.8 =v 34,000,000 m3 of water collected a year

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Volume of monolithic pool 21.7 m x 22.4 m x 0.6 m= 291 m3 Remaining 33,900,000 m3 stored in tank underneath pool. Full capacity of tank 35,000,000 m3

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Visual from within the House of No Choices, below ground showing monolithic water pool and light qualities within the space. 216

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Visual from the bridge of memory, walking towards the house of no choice

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T H E B R I D G E OF PLAY & ACROBATISM

Above: The Bridge of play & acrobatism is located in the boundary between some affluent semi-detached houses and the social housing end. The bridge goes above the buildings and below ground, and can be accessed from the playground. 220

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Plan of Bridge of Play & Acrobatism 1:500 mm

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Below: Visual showing the bridge of play & acrobatism. The bridge is below road level, and consists of an interactive landscape concrete ramps

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1 2

Smooth lightweight concrete topping Gutter for cables

Gutter for drainage

Reinforced concrete slab & columns

Glazing

Concrete wall

Concrete tiling

Reinforced concrete columns

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Reinforced oncrete walls & slab Hardcore rubble concrete ramps Hardcore earth

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T H E B R I D G E S O F N ORTH KENSINGTON 1:50 section

from the open roof will be collected and filtrated in the pool. Sun light will reach the pool only one day a year, on the anniversary of the fire (14/06/1993).

Left: 1:50 section of each bridge showing materiality

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4. 1. House of Choices

2. New Social Club

A. Bridge of rare plants and gardens

3. Playground

B. Bridge of Play

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House of No Choices

5. House of the nomad

C. Bridge of Memory

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R E A DINGS Anon, 1998. Pamphlet architecture 1-10. Pamphlet architecture 1-10. New York : Princeton Architectural Press. Ballard, J., 1994. Concrete Island. Calvino, I., 1997. Invisible Cities. Fenton, Joseph, et al., 2011. Pamphlet Architecture 11-20. New York : Princeton Architectural Press. Griffin, C., 2008. Nomads under the Westway : Irish Travellers, Gypsies and Other Traders in West London. Hall, W., and Koren, L., 2012. Concrete. London : Phaidon Press Limited. Hardingham, S. & Rattenbury, Kester, 2012. Bernard Tschumi : Parc de la Villette. Bernard Tschumi : Parc de la Villette. Harvey, D., 1973. Social Justice and the City. Harvey, D., 2012. Rebel Cities : From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution. Hejduk, John, et al. Text 8 : the Lancaster/Hanover Masque = Le Masque Lancaster/Hanover, 1992. London : Architectural Association. Jacobs, J., 1992. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Koolhaas, R., Boom, Irma, 2014. Elements of Architecture.: Facade, Harvard University. Graduate School of Design, Office for Metropolitan Architecture, & International Architectural Exhibition. Moore, R., 2017. Slow Burn City : London in the Twenty-first Century. Mullins, C., 2004. Rachel Whiteread. London: Tate Publishing. Pamphlet Architecture 11-20, 1998. New York : Princeton Architectural Press.

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Rogers, R., & Fisher, Mark., 1992. A New London. Shonfield, K., 2000. Walls Have Feelings : Architecture, Film and the City. The Secret History of Our Streets: Portland Road. 2012 [video] London: BBC Two. (Narrated by S. Mackintosh). Tschumi, B., 2000. Event-cities 2. Walsh, V. et al., 2001. Nigel Henderson : parallel of life and art. Nigel Henderson : parallel of life and art. Wigley, M., & Witte de With., 1998. Constantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Babylon : The Hyper-architecture of Desire.

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Note: For both Design studio and Technology marking purposes, in the case of discrepancies between my physical and digital portfolios, please refer to my digital portfolio, as this is the most updated version.